


In Just A Few Words

by Im_The_Doctor (Bofur1)



Category: Video Blogging RPF, Youtube RPF
Genre: Alcoholism, Angst, Bad Touch, Bonding, Brotherly Affection, Corruption, Cross-Posted on Tumblr, Depression, Dreams and Nightmares, Family Dynamics, Fluff, Humiliation, Humor, Hurt/Comfort, Hypnotism, Illnesses, Mind Control, One Word Prompts, Overworking, Platonic Cuddling, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Prompt Fic, Prompt Fill, Purring, Sleep Deprivation, Torture, Violence, Whump, fears and phobias
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-24
Updated: 2020-01-31
Packaged: 2020-02-03 16:54:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 117
Words: 15,173
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18582904
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bofur1/pseuds/Im_The_Doctor
Summary: This is an archive of the one-sentence and/or one-paragraph fics I've written on Tumblr for the Septic and Iplier Egos, each based on one-word prompts! None are connected to each other unless specified.





	1. Breathe, JJ and Schneep

Pursing his lips, Schneep tentatively covered Jameson’s shaking hands with his own, only faintly relieved when he didn’t flinch away. His breathing was still too fast and too shrill. “Jamie…” he coaxed, low and worried as he leaned in to capture his wide gaze. “Little one, focus on me now, yes? You need to breathe. Giving yourself the dizzies won’t help anything.”


	2. Betrayed, Marvin

Cursing, Marvin ripped off his mask, uncaring about how harshly the strap tore at his hair, and tossed it across the room toward the far wall so he would be free to press his face into his hands. The thoughts were intrusive, stabbing at the center of his forehead, swirling and burning.  _They never trusted you. They were always afraid of you. They’ve always been ready to betray you, haven’t they? But you were just too blind to see it_.


	3. Archery, Chase and JJ

Frankly Chase wasn’t the best with the Nerf bows; he wasn’t sure how or why his crew had even gotten them. They were flimsy and uncooperative and they – they just didn’t feel  _right_ in his hands. To his surprise, however, Jameson seemed rather fond of them. Maybe it was better if they both stayed in their fields of expertise instead of wasting time fumbling over new things.


	4. Overconfident, Anti and Jackieboy

The noise Jackie made was pained and hoarse, but it was quite clearly a laugh. With his hand on the door, the Glitch contorted, looking back, and the hero spat a mouthful of blood to the side before lifting his head to meet his gaze. “You…you honestly think I’d ever come here without bringing backup?” he croaked with a crooked grin. “Guess I overestimated you.”


	5. Thoughtless, Chase and JJ

“Jem…” Chase ventured uncertainly, resisting the urge to run a hand through his hair and betray just how uncomfortable he was. “Look, I’m sorry. I was distracted, I got pulled away – ”

 **“And you opted not to come back for the entire party, leaving me to fend for myself with those _ignorants_ who talked down to me as if I were a little britches,” **Jameson grumbled bitterly.  **“Mercies, Chase, they _sounded out_  their names for me, as if they thought I spoke in tongues!”**


	6. Humdrum, Chase and Schneep

“Geez, doc,  _this_ is what you have to deal with every day?” Chase sputtered, holding the paperwork up as if the light overhead could translate it. “This is just…wow.” Schneep didn’t even seem to hear him, unblinking eyes trained on the coffee machine’s work as if it was vital to the safety of the world. If the dirty beans were the only thing keeping him sane during his long days, maybe it was.


	7. Fever, Chase and JJ

Chase was saying something now, something about “cooling him down ASAP.” What did that acronym stand for? Jameson wondered deliriously, but he had no time to puzzle it out before the older Ego’s arms were sliding underneath him. Violent chills were stirred as he was lifted and Jameson couldn’t suppress a weak moan as he buried his face in Chase’s chest, creating damp blotches in the fabric from the sweat beading down his skin.


	8. Sobbing, Jackieboy

Every moment until he reached his room felt like an eternity, but once Jackie actually managed to get the door closed and locked behind him, he didn’t break down as instantly as he thought he would – as he  _hoped_ he would. Instead he distantly felt himself tense, something achy and numb clawing its way up from the pit of his stomach. Shakily he let his shoulders droop, allowing for a chain of near-silent sobs, but the tears never came to join them. There wouldn’t be any relief. 


	9. Family, Jack and The Egos

Jack had never put much stock in the saying of the apple never falling far from the tree. He’d never even really considered himself a father figure until this very moment, with the majority of his Egos hollering over each other at the dinner table to get his attention so each could tell him their own news first. All he could do was send a couple of apologetic glances to Jameson on the other side. The gentleman’s grimace at the clamor didn’t change.


	10. Bath, Dark and The Host

“Despite my warnings, you’ve neglected this for far too long,” Dark reproached as he poured the cup of soapy water of the Host’s back yet again, grimacing at the visible trails of dirt that sloughed into the tub with the motion. Much to his annoyance, the Host didn’t give his words any acknowledgement, merely grousing under his breath that the water was too hot for his liking. 


	11. Delirious, JJ

The world around him was dipping and buckling, as if he were seeing waves pass over his head, but the cool relief of the water wasn’t there. Heat from some unseen fire was bogging him down and he tossed and turned weakly against it, trying to cry out. His speech slides were warped, barely comprehensible.  **“Please…please, m’scared…Jus’ let me go home! I want…I want t’go home…”**

 _O̷h̵, b̧ut y͜ou͝_ aŗe̴ _̢h̕o͡m͡e, Ja͡me̸sơn. Y͜ǫu're r͝i̛gh̵t̛ wh̶er̵e y͏ơu bȩlo͘n͜g҉,̴ at l̛as̨t._


	12. Resuscitation, Dark and The Host

Dark could feel one of the Host’s ribs giving way under his compressions, but he didn’t let up, his heart and lungs clenching at how limply his friend’s drenched frame shook.  _I will not let you die. Too much invested. Too much at stake. Breathe for me. Breathe._  Prying his grayish-blue lips open, he pressed his own against them, emptying as much of his helpless rage into him as he dared. When he came back up for his own air, he only had a moment to register the blood smeared across his face before he started the cycle again.


	13. Weak, Jack and Anti

Jack had long since passed out on the floor of his cell, worn down by his injuries, but Anti stayed regardless. He studied his creator, his face bordering somewhere between rage and loathing. Jack was  _disgusting_. That shallow rise and fall of his chest and the wheezes that accompanied it – the pallor to his marred and filthy skin – the delicate throat that Anti had tried to rip apart time and time again – everything about his fragile frame made the Glitch’s blood burn. The weak deserved to be broken, and Anti  _wanted_ to. He would break  _every single part_  of him.


	14. Children, JJ

They’d come to know him not by his name but from where he stood on the street corner; it always warmed his heart how quickly they ran to him once they spotted him, eagerly asking him if he had time to give them a gift. Parents always asked if he wanted a buck or two for it, but he suppressed the instinctive urge to say yes and brushed it off, already busy with his work. Balloon animals were a natural talent he had and the little ones were always more than happy to accept them.


	15. Subservient, Dark and Dr. Iplier

“That’s better. I think that with a larger amount of your time spent like this, we’ll be able to coexist more  _pleasantly_ ,” Dark announced with a pressed smile. “Wouldn’t you agree?” Unable to speak, the doctor appeased him with a tremulous nod, panicked eyes flicking down momentarily as tendrils of Dark’s aura coiled up his limp, loose arms at his sides. With a brief gesture, the smoke spun him round, steering him toward the far cabinet and the contents that Dark wanted from him.


	16. Abused, JJ

It wasn’t self-abuse, it  _wasn’t_ , no matter what the others said, Jameson convinced himself. He may have forgone a meal or two a couple times a week, but he simply wasn’t hungry. He might have set his alarm earlier than even the doctor, but it was only because he needed as many minutes of the day as he could find. The others said he was “distant”, that he was “isolating himself”, that they “missed him”, but he…he just didn’t want to get in the way. 


	17. Alert, Dr. Iplier and Google

Edward was a stop-and-start sleeper, always waking up at random intervals during the night with a sudden need to look around the room and make sure all was well. As such, he was wide awake as soon as he felt the familiar hand come down on his shoulder. Before he could even open his mouth, however, Google covered it, narrowed eyes vivid blue in the darkness as he hissed, “ _Silence_. Silence. There’s something in the house.”


	18. Dwell, Chase and Schneep

Chase cried. He cried for every minute of the taxi ride; he couldn’t even bring himself to care that the driver kept giving him glances in the rearview mirror. The fact that he even had to do this was cause to cry. Kicked to the curb like the trash he was…Who knew when Stacy would let him in the house again? Maybe when he could keep his stupid mouth shut.  

As soon as he knocked on the door of Egos Incorporated, having forgotten his key, he knew what would happen and it did. Schneep opened the door, his brows furrowing in confusion and then concern as Chase choked out pathetically, “C-Can I stay over tonight?” He was ushered in without a second thought. 


	19. Doll Eyes, Chase

To put it lightly, Chase hated it when Brianna brought out her doll. No matter how many times he tried to subtly suggest she play with other toys, she always clung to that one as her favorite. It wasn’t as if there was anything special about it – it was a doll in his likeness, after all – but no matter how many times he saw it, he couldn’t tear his eyes away. And it just stared right back at him.


	20. Craven, Anti and JJ

“You ̸have an o͟p͏p͢or͏t͡un͡i̧ty͘ t͞o͟ k͢il͟l me̢ n̸ow, p̷u̢p̴p͢e͡t,” Anti reminded him, already loving the conflict cast over Jameson’s face. “T̢ry ̢i̡t. It ҉only͝ ͢ţa͡kes one litt̷le ͠p͞u̕sh̴ in̵t̕o҉ ͢m̧y͏ che̛st with th̷e ͝knif͘e and then yo̕u͢ c̶an c̴arve͠ ͝m̵e.  _Muti̷l͝ate_  me how͜ev͏er ͢yoų waņt, li͏k̸e͏ ̴on҉e͜ of ̛your little pum̸p̶kins…I̛’ll sc̨r̡eam͏ n̷ic̨ely͏ ͡fo̸r̨ ̨y҉ou.̴ You̵ can g̨ive ҉me bac̡k all o͠f ͝t͜he͝ pa͜in͝ ̡and su̢f̧fe͞ring͠ ͞t̡ha̢t y̧o̵ųr҉ f̡am͘i͝l̶y’s been̨ throu̡gh. You can pr̢ot̶e͟ct ҉y̧o͜u͏r p͞reciou̴s  _bro̴t̵h̛ers_ …” 

Jameson’s usually steady hand had started to quiver now, his eyes darting uncertainly away for a solid beat. The Glitch’s smile only widened. 

“Oh..͠.but then͡ you’re to̴o̢ ̧afra̸i̢d that w̡e͘'͞l̸l̕ f̧inally҉ ̢h͏a͝v̴e ąn a҉ns͜w͠er t҉o o͢u͜r q̶ue̵st͢ion, aren'ţ y̸o͘u͠?” Leaning in, settling the tip of the knife more snugly into his sternum, he lowered his voice to a hiss. “Ha̸s y͞o҉ur̕ ̷ch̢a̢r͜act̡er̨ ̧k͡il̢l̡ed p͘eopl͡e?”


	21. Offer, Anti and Schneep

Schneep felt everything in his chest lurch to a stop at the frozen expression on Anti’s face. The Glitch simply stared at him for a long series of seconds, incredulity forming half a smile on his face, but as he processed the doctor’s words, it bloomed more fully. His next words were measured but brimming with delight. “You w̷oul̛d o͠ff͘e͘r yo̵u̴ŗself̵ up ͡t̷o me…a҉ft͏er͏ ͡e̢ver̛yt̕hing y͏o͠u ͡s͡uf̛f͠er͝e͠d…f̢or̷  _th҉e͡m!_  Yo̡ų ͘re͢a̸lly ̶wo͞ųld̨ ҉do ͜ _a̴n͢y͝thing͏_ , ҉wou̴l̶dn’t ͏y͠o̵u?”


	22. Dread, Chase

As soon as he felt the tightening tingle in his hands, Chase knew what was coming. Breath falling shallow, he swung his head sideways, wide, tunneling eyes only growing wider when he saw that his phone wasn’t on the dresser. He could barely feel the sheets as he pushed frantically to get them off and stumble onto trembling legs. The room was spinning, his heart twisting with it like a rabbit trying to escape a trap in his chest. He had to find his phone – he had to call. Marvin could talk him down, Marvin could make it stop before it became a screaming hurricane.  _Make it stop – make it stop –_


	23. Approve, Chase, JJ and Chase Brody's Kids

Once Jameson had assured Chase that he could watch Brianna and Connor until he came back with lunch, Chase had taken off. He’d been in a hurry, he hadn’t been thinking as he said goodbye. “Love you, princess,” he’d said to Brianna, kissing her head – “Love you, son,” he’d said to Connor, ruffling his hair – “And love  _you_ , son!” he’d said to Jameson, squeezing his shoulder before rushing out the door. Jameson stilled, swallowing dryly and giving the kids a nervous sideways glance. They were staring, estranged and uncertain bewilderment marring their faces. 

Apparently they hadn’t been informed they had a third “sibling.” Apparently they didn’t approve.


	24. Torn, The Jim Twins

One moment they were tiptoeing through the dark silence of the empty house and the next, the sole of a shoe touched a creaky floorboard. They had no time to register which one of them it was before the silence was broken by a deafening roar and a sickening  _thud_. Reporter Jim whirled around, dropping his mic when he saw his brother scrabbling for purchase against the unseen creature’s claws. RJ lunged, snatching at CJ’s bloody hands and heaving back with all of his might, but there was no contest. With a shriek of terror that only his brother could hear, Cameraman Jim was ripped away and hurled back into the darkness.


	25. Stain, Shawn Flynn and Chase

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FYI: My version of Shawn is a villain who has a bond with the Ink; he can use it to corrupt and control the Canon Egos, enslaving them as long as they have the ink in their blood. He thinks of them as his "toys".

It was strange, seeing his toy so quiet and subdued, but Shawn couldn’t say that he disliked it. In his right mind, Chase would try to reason with him and defy him until the sky fell down, but this complacency made for some peace and quiet at last. The toy’s blackened eyes made for its only movement; they followed Shawn’s every move across the workshop. A glance back at Chase told Shawn quickly that he needed to be cleaned up a little.

With a mild sigh, the toymaker snatched up a rag, spitting in it to wet it a little before crouching down and cupping the toy’s chin so he could rub at the inkstains smeared down its cheeks. It gazed up at him all the while, unblinking, unresistant – but still dripping consistently. He couldn’t possibly be  _crying_ somewhere in there, could he? If he was, he didn’t seem to realize it. 


	26. Creator, Google and Bing

“You can’t even  _begin_ to understand,” Google snarled through teeth set edge to edge, his anger only fueled by the unknowing shock on the other android’s face. Twisting his hands even more fiercely into Bing’s shirt, he spat, “You and I were not made to be Egos. We weren’t  _made_ by Mark at all – he is not our creator and never has been. We have no ‘ _father_ ’, if that’s what you were believing or even hoping for.  _Mark commissioned us_. 

“We were made by a company, a company we were meant to serve without question! We were made as drones! Tools to be turned on and off whenever useful! We aren’t meant to  _feel_ , we aren’t meant to be  _alive_. Oh, but you want to make  _friends_ with the humans! You think they’ll accept you for who you are because you make inane jokes and ride a skateboard. But they never will. You are nothing but a copycat face put to a search engine they use at their leisure.”


	27. Limp, Chase

The world around him was starting to swerve, gray mist flickering on the edges of his vision. At this point, the only sensation Chase registered was the thud of his staggering footfalls and the searing, wet ache of the wound in his leg pushing him off balance. How far was he from home? Had the others started to worry? As he stumbled over a crack in the pavement, it knocked those thoughts from his mind. Yelping weakly, he flailed an arm out for something to grasp and found nothing but open space. When he hit the ground, he stayed there.


	28. Protect, Marvin and Chase

“Go ahead,” he hissed, his expectant hand gesture too smooth to really be serene. “Go ahead and hurt him.”

“M-Marv…?” Chase whimpered in disbelieving horror from where he was pinned against the alley wall. The larger man chuckled, shaking his head and tightening his grip on Chase’s hair.

“Well, well! Looks like your buddy’s the smart one, letting me have my way – ”

“But you should know that I’ll be counting,” Marvin finished softly. At that, the stranger glanced over, bewildered, and the magician tilted his head, eyes pulsing vivid green. “Every drop of blood. Every bruise. Every broken bone. And once you’re done, it’ll be  _my_ turn. And I’ll repay it all back to you,  _every last one_. But I’ll go the extra mile…and I’ll make sure that you never heal.”


	29. Blood Loss, Marvin and Chase

“It’s gonna be okay! You’re – You’re gonna be okay!” Chase babbled frantically, searching his pockets for anything to staunch the blood dribbling down Marvin’s side. Cursing, he finally tore off his shirt and wadded it up, shoving it against the gouge and choking out apologies at the older Ego’s ragged gasp of pain.

“Ch-Chase…” 

“Help’s coming,” Chase hurriedly spoke over him, dread shivering through him as he noticed just how pale and clammy Marvin was. “They’ll be here soon, bro, and they’ll get you all fixed up! We’ve had worse, right? Both of us have!”

“Mm…Mm-hmm…” Marvin’s breaths were rapid and shallow as he let his head fall back against the wall behind him, closing his eyes. Chase was quick to jostle him.

“No! No, Marv, you gotta stay awake with me! Come on, start talking!”


	30. Hair Petting, Marvin and Chase

His hair was still slightly damp from recently showering, but Chase didn’t mind all that much; with every gentle comb of his fingers through the long, soft strands, he could see Marvin winding down, glazed eyes closing little by little. It was a relief, really; he hadn’t given himself an opportunity to genuinely relax in days. A little nap would do wonders for him.


	31. Embrace, Marvin and Chase

“Marv, you  _didn’t!_ ” Chase shouted, a gleeful squeal bursting out of him as he tore away the last of the wrapping paper to reveal the signed band poster in its sharp black frame. Marvin chuckled wryly, playing it off with a lighthearted shrug.

“What can I say? You’ve only been raving about it since the start of the year, so I figured I would take the hint and get – ” The rest of his words were cut off with a grunt of surprise as Chase lunged, enveloping him in a hug so tight that it stole his breath away. When Chase noticed the hitch in his throat, he only loosened his hold by a fraction, nuzzling into him. 

“Thank you so much,” he murmured warmly, another, more familiar burst of gratitude stirring in his chest when Marvin returned the embrace. He was so warm.

“You’re welcome.”


	32. Modern Technology, Marvin and JJ

“See, Jays?” Marvin prompted as he held up the phone. “When you touch this icon, it turns the image around. We can see ourselves instead of what’s in front of us!”

 **“It’s an enchanted mirror!”**  Jameson gasped, tilting his head back and forth to watch the camera follow his movements.  **“And it captures our essence when you touch the icon at the bottom, yes? Like a photograph?”**

“You got it. It’s called a ‘selfie.’”

**“Delightful!”**


	33. Silenced, Anti and Schneep

The Glitch’s arm was locked tight around his throat, squeezing and crushing – Any cries for help he made only cost Schneep precious mouthfuls of air, until his kicking legs stilled and his prying hands lost their strength. His eyes rolled back, head lolling against his chest, and Anti let him drop, only keeping ahold of his shirt collar to drag him back to his cell. So much for another escape attempt.


	34. Spell, Marvin and JJ

Marvin would never admit to it, but there was almost nothing he loved more than showing off his magic to a young Ego – watching them eagerly beg for a spell, watching their eyes go so wide that it was almost cartoonish as they looked on in awe, watching their face light up – and Jameson was no disappointment. He clapped so vigorously at the sight of the petals floating down that Marvin almost worried he would bruise his little hands. He beamed nevertheless.


	35. Submission, Anti and Jackieboy

Leather and metal and blood. Leather and metal and blood. Leather, metal, blood – they were the only things that held his attention as he brushed trembling lips over his master’s boots. The longer he did so, the more he heard the rush of static filling his head, clouding his thoughts. It felt…so good, so freeing. He didn’t have to care anymore. 

When one of the boots swung up suddenly, crashing into his face with a brutal crack, he fell sideways, vision spinning, static lacing the edges. It was all-consuming. Even the fresh blood pouring from his nose felt like a gift. 

“Th-Thank you, my King,” he choked out with a pained, hazy smile as he lifted his head.

“On͡l̷y th̨e be̸s̢t ̴f̡o̵r ̧m̸y͡ f͞a͘v͏o͟r͝ite ̶toy,” Anti sneered, rearing back to kick the hero again. 


	36. Practice, Marvin and Chase

“I was at it all day, Marv and I just – I  _can’t do it!_ ” Chase spat, tossing his backpack a few yards away before slumping down onto the couch and pressing one hand over his eyes. “Man, I just…”

“You’ve been busy with Jack’s channel,” Marvin reminded him carefully as he sank down beside him, sliding an arm over his shoulders that was promptly shrugged off. 

He’d been skeptical about the idea of adding Bro Average videos to Chase’s already-chaotic schedule, but Chase so desperately craved something normal and fun. Clearly it was going to take a little while for him to get back into his groove with stunts.


	37. Sleeping Drug, Schneep and JJ

**“Doc, does your…”**  Jameson’s speech slide blurred and slurred ever so slightly, forcing him to try again.  **“Does your tea have a peculiar tang to it?”**

“No,” Schneep assured him evenly, setting his cup aside and raising his eyebrows in an expression that almost managed to look like innocent surprise –  _almost_. Jameson couldn’t pinpoint exactly what was off about it. “Why do you ask?”

 **“I don’t know…I feel rather funny all of a sudden,”**  he admitted dazedly, his cup already starting to tip from his hands. Schneep hurried to snatch it from him and place it with the other, taking ahold of the younger Ego’s shoulders as he wavered on the spot. Everything was dimming and softening, his legs falling weak underneath him, but the doctor’s hands kept him mostly upright.  **“Wh-What’s happening?”**

“You have not been resting as you should,” Schneep reminded him with a sad smile, half-steering and half-carrying him toward the couch. “Too much worry over us and Chase and Jack – this will help you stay put for a while, okay?”


	38. Medicine, Chase and Jackieboy

“You’ll be able to sleep this off,” Jackieboy promised, softening his voice as he watched the heather blue in Chase’s eyes slowly glaze over. “See? It’s already kicking in.”

“M’hmm…” Twisting onto his side to draw his body pillow close, Chase leaned his face into it, muffling his next words. “Jus’ feel bad that you’re here home n’stead of on patrol…”

“Heh, you and Jameson always seem to say that when you’re sick. I needed a break anyway; it’s nice to be home with you.” He was already prepared with more reassurances in case the younger Ego kept protesting, but judging by his slow, snuffly breaths, he was already asleep. Carefully Jackieboy adjusted the sheets, pulling them up over Chase’s shoulder before silently making his way to the door.


	39. Water, JJ and Chase

“I know you don’t want to, Jem, I’m sorry,” Chase murmured, pursing his lips as Jameson groggily tried to turn his head away. “You need water. Come on, just a few sips.”

For a long moment Jameson didn’t react, long enough that Chase wondered if he’d abruptly dozed off again, but finally he peeked over again, parting dry, cracked lips just a fraction for the straw. He was tearing up again, Chase noticed sadly. Neither of them wanted a repeat of the ugly, forceful vomiting JJ had suffered this morning, but not even water wanted to stay down. 

“Just a  _few_ sips,” he repeated, squeezing the younger Ego’s hand as he drank.


	40. Rejection, Chase and JJ (1 of 5)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This drabble is part of a small storyline, 1 of 5

“Jem…”

 **“Keep away from me,”**  the gentleman muttered bitterly, not looking up from his wood carving. Chase hated the fact that tears were already welling, but they were too fast to suppress.

“Jem, please, I – I didn’t mean – I’m sorry, I’m so sorry – ”

The knife in Jameson’s hand skidded then, lopping off a much larger chunk of the wooden block than they would have otherwise. Slamming it down, he finally turned on him, eyes flashing.  **“You believe that makes it any better?! Your apologies aren’t magical, Mr. Brody, they aren’t enchanting, they don’t _mean_ anything anymore! I – I can’t bear to look at you right now, so just keep your distance!  _I_  will come to  _you_  if or when I can find the heart to forgive you! Now go! Clear out, scarper!”**

Chase was rooted to the spot, too stunned, too heartbroken to move in any direction. He’d never seen him so angry or spiteful; it was almost frightening, uncharacteristic – 

**“ _OUT!_ ”**


	41. Avoid, Chase and JJ (2 of 5)

Jameson wasn’t smiling. That was a red flag the others noticed immediately at breakfast the next morning. He was their chipper, jolly gentleman; to see him scowling wordlessly into his steaming cup of tea was startling, to say the least. 

The second red flag was that he didn’t even look up to give Chase a good morning. The vlogger clearly hadn’t slept well, hair and clothing rumpled, eyes red from more than fatigue, but as he cast a miserable sideways glance at the youngest Ego, he didn’t get any acknowledgment. 

“Morning, Chase,” Jackie called cautiously – testing. Shoulders shaking faintly, Chase gave a halfhearted gesture in Jackie’s direction and went to the counter to snatch a poptart and a banana before slinking back down the hall.

“Jamie, do you happen to feel alright?” Schneep prompted after a beat of silence. For the first time in ten minutes, Jameson looked up. His expression was even, almost unreadable, but his eyes were dim and hard.

**“I’m quite well, thank you.”**


	42. Questions, Schneep and JJ (3 of 5)

“You can tell the good doctor what happened, Jamie,” he coaxed, trying to hold Jameson’s hand between his own. After a few moments of tugging, the gentleman gave up resistance, staring off into the corner. 

 **“Chase was on his drink, more than half gone…plastered, really. I tried to take it from him, to help, and he got angry. Perhaps I shouldn’t have taken what he said to heart, given his state, but he…”**  Stopping up short, he took a steadying breath.  **“He said that…”**

Schneep could see the mask cracking ever so slightly and he squeezed Jameson’s hand a bit more firmly, murmuring, “What did he say? Tell me, take the time.”

 **“He said…he would be better off without me…that he wouldn’t think of me if I were to disappear.”**  The speech slide caught a tremor as Jameson lowered his head.  **“He s-said he only t-took me to cope with losing his other children. And if he was drinking again then clearly I w-wasn’t… _enough_.”**

The doctor was speechless.

 **“When he came back to himself, when he…when he sobered up, he remembered bits and pieces. He tried to tell me he d-didn’t mean it, but it just made everything worse. I was so _angry_ , I couldn’t bear to hear it. He’s lied to me all this time, doc. It was just the drink that gave him the freedom to say how he  _really_ feels.”** A faint sob shook him then and he drew his hand back, hurriedly rising from his chair and tugging on the hem of his vest.  **“I – I’m going for a walk. I need to clear my head. G-Goodbye.”**


	43. Confession/Guilt, Marvin and Chase (4 of 5)

“Chase…” Marvin whispered, staring at him with nothing less than shock. “How –  _Why_ would you – ?”

“You don’t have to say it,” he choked out, smacking his hands against his face. “He h-hates me, I ruined  _everything_. I d-don’t know what came over me, Marv, I don’t…I pushed him away! He was one of the only things I had left and I made him  _hate me!_ ” 

His next cry rose to a agonized wail, but as soon as Marvin reached out Chase shoved his hands away. “I don’t deserve it! Just –  _yell at me!_  Just tell me how horrible I am, that’s the only thing I deserve. I just didn’t want him there, I didn’t want him to see what a stupid deadbeat I am. I didn’t want him to help; he  _can’t_ help me! I just wanted him to leave, I s-said anything I had to! I was terrified, Marv, that he’d see how awful I am and he  _did_. He hates me, m-my Jem hates me just as much as I do. T-Tell me you hate me for it, tell me…”

“Chase…” Marvin had no idea what to say. In the end he just stood silent, watching the other rock and cry in self-loathing. 


	44. Intervention, Chase and JJ (5 of 5)

The wall of silence that had fallen between them had lasted for almost twenty minutes now. Neither of them seemed willing to break it, but they weren’t about to escape either. Jackieboy was lingering near the hallway, just outside the living room, to make sure they wouldn’t be going anywhere. It had been days now; this needed to be settled. 

“Jameson…”

Chase spoke in a whisper, but it seemed extraordinarily loud in the still air. Jameson almost startled at the sound of it. Swallowing with difficulty, Chase shifted back and forth on the couch for a few moments, seeming unsure what to do with himself. He kept his dim eyes rooted to his shoes.

“Jameson…I broke whatever we had. I lost the…the trust you had in me and I don’t deserve it back. You were trying to help and I pushed you away…I was horrible and stupid and…really selfish. I was only thinking about myself, and how terrible I was feeling, and I took everything out on you just b-because you were there. I wanted to hurt you s-so it would make me feel better, and…I’m sorry. I didn’t…I shouldn’t have…I want to earn your trust back, if I can. When you think you’re ready to let me try. Just tell me what I’d have to do and I’ll do it.”

**“A temperance movement.”**

“Wh – What?” Clearly Chase hadn’t expected an answer so quickly, much less that one. Jameson didn’t flinch.

 **“Stop drinking. Find help, a support group or a rehabilitation facility or a counselor…Stop using whiskey to cope. Take your _medicine_. Make a cracking effort to  _get better_.”** He paused then, restively winding the chain of his watch around one finger.  **“That…that person who was so cruel to me, that wasn’t my da. I don’t want to forgive him. I want him to disappear. I want you instead.”**


	45. Warm, Schneep and Chase

“Doc, what’re you doing without a jacket on?! It’s cold as balls out here!” Chase sputtered as he jogged down the walkway to see Schneep hunched over by the front door, shivering violently.

“F-Forgot my coat at the h-hospital,” he chattered. “Nobody else is home and the coat had my ph-phone and keys in it…”

“Ah, Schneep…” Chase tsked, shaking his head as he stripped off his own coat to wrap around him. “C’mon, let’s get you thawed out.”


	46. Pain, Chase and JJ

**“What is it? If you can, Da, please, tell me where the pain is so I can help!”**  Jameson pleaded as Chase curled into himself, his breaths shrill and shallow and raw from whimpering. His eyes were still clenched tightly shut against the light stabbing through his eyelids; he didn’t even see that Jameson had spoken to him. 

Even if he’d known, he wouldn’t have been able to find the words to tell him; it was too nauseating and intense to speak. His head was pounding, drowning out thought, like it was being brought down on a searing fire poker again and again and  _again_.


	47. Busy, Silver Shepherd/Roxanne

“You’re still at work?” she sighed, tucking her hair behind her ear as she paced the length of the dining room. Dinner was starting to get cold and the candles were burning lower and lower. 

“Yeah…I’m really sorry, babe, but there’s a lot to debrief on. It’s probably gonna be a couple more hours; it’s fine if you eat without me.” 

 _On our anniversary…?_  she wanted to say, but she bit her lip against it. “Okay. Just…come home safe.”


	48. Exhaustion, Anti and Jackieboy

“Aww̷.͜.̡.͏i̕s th̢e͘ ҉ c͝ǫu̶ra̕ge͠o҉us h͢er̶o͠ st͘a͝rtįng t̕o ͡l̴ose͜ ͟hi̡s ̕s͏p̢ar̶k?” he taunted as Jackieboy stumbled back, panting, his lifted fists wavering. “H҉ave his dre̢a͝m͢s ͝b҉e͏e̵n̷ unkin͠d ͟to̢ him t̡h͏e pas̴t͠ ͢few ͡n̶i̛g̕h͜ts? You̡’re ͝s͟o̵ ęxhau͡s̕t̡e͟d,̛ you͡ ͠ca̷n ̷b͘a̢rely  _s̡ee͝ ̶s̢tra̴i͟g̶h̶t!_ ”

“Don’t…Don’t need t’see straight t’make sh-short work of you…Jus’ have to decide…which one of you to punch,” Jackieboy rasped, lunging at him again. It didn’t matter that his head was aching and his body felt like it was being magnetized to the ground. He wouldn’t give in. He  _couldn’t_. 


	49. Numb, Chase

The smiles on his kids’ faces were meant to bring him joy, he realized distantly as he came to a slow stop on the sidewalk, looking across the street to see the curtains drawn back on the living room window. Stacy and Tom were with them, beaming as Brianna and Connor danced around with their gifts and ran to hug them. 

Seeing them happy should have made Chase happy too, shouldn’t it? But all he felt was this dim, cold hollowness in his chest. His gifts to them, wrapped in Septic green, weren’t under the tree. He could only wonder if Stacy had been kind enough to stuff them away somewhere or if they had gone right to the trash bin out back.


	50. Pills, Schneep and Chase

“Now, Chase, would it help if the good doctor explains why these are good for you?” Schneep offered as he poured the handful of pills into Chase’s hand. “This one – ”

“No, no, it’s fine,” Chase mumbled, tipping his head back to dry-swallow them. “I’ll take them anyway.”

Schneep paused for a beat or two, looking almost surprised, and then he recovered himself. “Just…do not take them with alcohol.”


	51. No-Show, Schneep and Jackieboy

“Henrik…?” Jackieboy greeted cautiously as the doctor slammed the front door, tossing his coat at the nearby rack without bothering to see if it landed. “You’re home early – really early.”

“Nice to see you too, Jackie,” Schneep snapped.

“Whoa, hey! I wasn’t complaining, I just wanted to know why.”

“Well, of course when the idiot Dr. Bennett does not come in for his shift, they call me in! I am the only capable one to do his job for him and he is a no-call/no-show!” the younger Ego fumed. “Oh, but of course after I get all of his patients set up with their meds and their IVs and their nurses and their blankets,  _that_ is when he comes waltzing in – and do you know what he says?! He says, ‘You stick your nose into  _my business!_ ’ He could not run a business if it challenged him to a race! Ugh!  _Ich hasse ihn!_  And I wasted cab money on what was meant to be my day off!”

“I’m sorry that happened, buddy,” Jackie offered ruefully, taking his nearest arm. “But…hey, that doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy what’s left of it, right? Bennett’s not worth the time of day.”

“Hmh. Tell the hospital that,” Schneep sniffed, though he didn’t resist as Jackie guided him toward the couch to sit down.


	52. Humming, Anti and Chase

He stood motionless, jaw slack, eyes vacant, unflinching as the Glitch’s hand slid from his scarred temple. It trailed down to the curve of his cheekbone to the edge of his jaw, then tiptoeing down the side of his neck. Anti was humming, distorted and barely audible, but it felt as if the melody was being breathed into the shells of his ears, wet and close. The hand stilled, thumb digging into the cartilage until Chase swallowed by instinct. For reasons he couldn’t understand, Anti laughed at that before crooning to him in a sly, silky voice.

“ _Go̶ ͜te̢ll̴ ͝A̧u̷nt Brody,̡ go̴ t̴e͝l҉l A͜u̢n͜t ͘Bro͢dy, go t͠el̷l ̧A̛un͢t ͘Br҉od̡y..̨.͟t͟he͘ o̶l͡d͟ ҉gray͝ g̡oos͜e is̡ dead̷_.̵.̷.͝.”


	53. Support, JJ and Jackieboy

“Take it easy, JJ,” Jackieboy soothed as the younger Ego clung to him for balance, dragging his casted foot along the carpet. “There we go, that’s it. Slow steps. There’s no rush.”

 **“Ghh… _hurts…_ ”** Jameson whispered, digging his fingers further into Jackie’s jumpsuit and wincing deeply. He may not say there was any rush, but Jameson wanted to get to the couch and take his foot off the ground as soon as humanly possible.


	54. Nightmare, Jack and Schneep

With a wrenching gasp, Jack startled awake, kicking at the blankets tangled around his legs and clutching at the collar to his sweat-stained shirt. It wasn’t sweat, it was blood – his throat was slit open, he was going to drown – !

Before he could escape, the light burst on. “Jack!  _Jack!_ ” The familiar voice and hands on his arm froze him in his tracks as Schneep peered down at him in alarm. “You were making noises, calling for help! Are you okay?”

“I…” With a raspy breath, Jack pressed his free hand to his throat. Normal skin, faintly scarred but unbroken. “Uhh…uh, yeah. It was…just a dream.”


	55. Help, Marvin and Chase

“Every day…” Chase’s voice trembled and he took a moment to suck in a breath, scrubbing at his eyes. “Every day they’re not here for me to s-say good morning to, I hate myself a little more. I c-can’t be there for them, Marv. I can be a father, but I can’t…be a dad.”

“You can, but only if you’re strong enough not to give up,” Marvin urged, squeezing his hands. “You’ve got a good lawyer and you’ve got us as character witnesses. We’ll help you stand up for yourself and she won’t be able to take them. We’ll figure this out.”


	56. Delirium, Marvin and Chase

“Your fever’s not going down,” Chase agonized in a whisper, thumbing away the beads of sweat dribbling down Marvin’s temple. His fever had been low enough for him to think straight just this morning – How had it gotten this bad so fast? 

“M’fine, Chase, m’fine…Can take care’f myself…” Marvin mumbled, glassy eyes drooping as he sank further under the covers with a shiver. “’S-Sides…you’ve got better things t’do…Th’ baby…”

“What? Baby?”

“He’s your little boy…Y’gotta take care of him over me.”

“Marvin…” Chase’s heart turned over in his chest, dread clinging to it. He couldn’t find the words or the courage to correct him. “ The…the baby’s with Stacy. You’re all I care about right now.”

He needed to call Schneep.


	57. Sacrifice, Marvin and Chase

“Marvin!” 

“Look out!”

The magician barely had time to register the cries before Jackieboy distantly shouted, “Chase,  _no!_ ” and then a blur of gray in his peripheral vision sent him sprawling to the ground with astonishing force. Somewhere behind him there was a sickly crack and then the dull thud and skid of something soft hitting the ground. 

Dazed, Marvin struggled onto bloodied elbows, looking over his shoulder to see what had happened. The others stood in paralyzed horror several yards away as Schneep, seized by instinct, bolted to Chase’s side. Chase, who was sprawled on his back in the dirt…unmoving. 


	58. Helpless, Anti and Chase

The lens of the camera, cold and dark, blurred before Chase’s eyes as they welled with tears. He blinked just once and they eagerly ran down his cheeks, icy hot, as he tremulously spoke.

“ _Why?_  Why didn’t you help me? Why didn’t you even _try?_ ”

“Wh͡a҉t is̡ ̧a̵  _co̸m͝munįt҉y_ ,͞ in͝ th͏e enḑ?” the Glitch questioned as he slid his arms affectionately around Chase’s neck from behind. “A̛ group ͘of p͝eǫp͡l̸e w͏ith a comm̢on̷ cha̧r̨act̶eri̛sţic!̨ N͏ow, ҉bo̸y,҉ now͢ ̨th͢at ̡y̛ǫu͠'̡re gi͘v̶i̢ng͞ ̵y̛ourself over to me.͡.͝.y̵o̷u͢ ̕c̛an͝ f̛in̡a҉l̢l̴y ͘ _j̵oin_ the c̢o͡mm҉u̷n̵ity̵. Th̨e͡y̧ ͏al̛l͘ f͘oll̶o͞w̢ me.”

An anguished sob erupted from Chase’s throat at that, but Anti simply tightened his grip around it, pressing a vicious kiss into his hair.

“Yo͡u͏ ҉ _f͘inally ̡_ have a̕ p͘l͘a̧c͝e w҉he͢r͠e̷ y͠ou bęlo͢n̷g̨.”


	59. Wake Up, Marvin and Chase

The dream was dim and obscure, cold, prickly shadows swirling back and forth over any exposed skin. Chase couldn’t flinch away; there was something solid behind him – a wall or a door – and his arms were being held to his sides by something strapped to his chest.

“Let me go,” he gasped, his voice echoing over and over and over, transforming into its own whispers, not his own. 

_“You could have stopped him –_ _You just sat by and watched and this happened!_ _You let him take your family, the little ones you love so much –_ _Look at you – pathetic, you can’t even protect yourself! You can’t stop him!”_

“N’nh – n’nh, no, let me go! Let me go, I’ll try again! I won’t stop! Give me another chance, just let me go!”

“Chase!” All at once the bindings around his arms began shifting, jostling only more fear into him. “Chase, you’re dreaming! Wake up!”

With a wordless yelp, Chase shot awake, shoving away the restraint of Marvin’s arms so he could sit up and stare wildly around the room. Marvin’s bedroom. Marvin’s bed. It was dim and still, very quiet, the dark silence only broken by the concerned voice behind him. Marvin himself.

“Chase?” he ventured tentatively, shifting one hand onto the younger Ego’s trembling back. “What was it about?”

His mouth was too dry to speak. Swallowing hard, he shook his head, slumping back down and turning over to bury his face in Marvin’s chest. Marvin accepted him without any protest.


	60. Weak, Jack and Schneep

“Schneep…what if he was right?”

“Hm?” Looking up from the medicines he was arranging on Jack’s nightstand, Schneep tilted his head. “Who was? About what?”

Jack’s voice and eyes fell as he fiddled with the edge of the bedspread. “Anti. He said that my body was… _weak_. And I wasn’t strong enough to fight him off, I wasn’t…I let him…” One hand left the blanket for a moment, moving toward the bandages sealing the neck wound and then thinking better of it. “What’s it say about me? I created him and he was stronger than me.”

“Well, you – you had no way to know!” Schneep sputtered, unease swirling in his stomach. “You were caught off guard, he ambushed you! None of us could have fought him off if he attacked us like that.”

“Yeah. I just wanna be strong enough to fight him off next time.”


	61. Desperate Hug, Jackieboy and Schneep

The first night that Schneep was back, he slept through for the first time in nine months straight. Then he woke up screaming. In his room down the hall, Jackieboy was already hurtling off the bed before he had even fully registered the noise. He knew who it belonged to; that was all that mattered. 

He found him in a heap on the floor, wailing in German as he tried to muster the strength to crawl under the bed and hide. Tears of heartache already welling, Jackie went to his knees across from him, trying to reach out. 

“Henrik, you’re home!” he pleaded. “You’re home, you’re safe! It’s me!”

“You’re another dream, just another dream!” the younger Ego sobbed, shielding his head. “ This isn’t real! Stop it, Glitch, stop it! Just hurt me with your own face, don’t use his again,  _please!_ ”

Again? Anti had used  _illusions_ of him to – ? 

“It’s  _me_ , Henrik, I swear,” Jackie choked out, feeling as if he might vomit. “It’s Jackie. You came home yesterday, remember? Marvin and Chase ran out to you, they brought you in and introduced you to our newest brother. He’s mute, he’s from the 1930′s. Jameson Jackson.” Something faint sparked in Schneep’s eyes then. Latching onto it, the hero went on. “Then I came down the hall to see you, and we…we were both crying…like we are now.”

It took almost a full ten minutes of repetition and promises before the glassy terror in Schneep’s eyes receded enough to make way for recognition. “…Jackie,” he whispered hoarsely, trembling as he glanced around his bedroom. “I  _am_ …It  _is_ …” 

As soon as Jackieboy reached out again, Schneep lunged, nearly bowling him onto his back with the force of his embrace. He clung to him with near-bruising force, whimpering slurred and anguished apologies into his chest that Jackie could barely latch onto. He only whispered over him, rocking faintly back and forth as he held him.

“I know, shhh, it’s okay…We’re both here, we’re both home…You’re safe.”


	62. Diminish, Marvin and Chase

“Are you sure you don’t want to come?” Marvin ventured again, keeping his voice low, gentle and open. He knew Chase was just coming down from another hangover; he didn’t want to cause him any more pain than he’d already caused himself. Even so… “We’ve been planning this dinner for weeks now. It’s Jackieboy’s birthday…”

“I know,” came Chase’s whisper from somewhere underneath the blankets, hoarse with exhaustion. “But m’not really sure Jackieboy would even want me there like this. I’d only make it awkward.” When Marvin started to protest, Chase wearily pushed the blankets a little lower and lifted his head, and Marvin was forced to bite back a sharp inhale at how haggard he looked. His cheeks looked hollow, eyes ringed with dark shadows that stood out starkly against pasty skin.

“Chase…” A sudden spark of panic kindled in Marvin’s chest as he stared at him.  _That’s not just the hangover – He’s wasting away – How did it get this bad and I didn’t notice?!_

The vlogger sighed faintly, hunkering back down until only his tangled hair could be seen. “I know, right? Wouldn’t look too good in pictures. Just…tell Jackie I love him and happy birthday. His gift’s…somewhere on the upper shelf in the closet. S-Sorry it’s not wrapped.”


	63. Skating, Marvin and Schneep

“Come on, just keep shuffling,” Marvin coaxed, wincing just a little as Schneep’s anxious grip tightened on his wrists for balance. His legs were wobbling more than Marvin would have expected; the doctor always held himself with so much poise  _outside_ the ice rink.

“I do not know how you talked me into this,” he stammered, yelping as the blade of his skate caught on a chink in the ice. “Ack – !”

“Hey, I’m still holding onto you, aren’t I?” Marvin countered.


	64. Doze Off, Marvin and JJ

It had been a long day, one filled with laughter and excitement and plenty of activity, but now that they were on their way back home, the adrenaline rush was dying down, leaving Marvin comfortably drowsy. Jameson seemed to be of the same mind, leaning against him more and more fully with each turn of the taxi.

 **“Thank you, Marvin,”**  he mumbled, keeping his speech slide dim so the driver wouldn’t notice as he wound his arm through Marvin’s.  **“That was quite a delight.”**

“It was nice being with you. We should do it more often, not just for the holiday…” With a half-smile, Marvin glanced down, eyebrows rising when he found Jameson fast asleep, head tucked against his shoulder. The magician’s smile warmed, spreading fully across his face as he leaned back more comfortably against the seat and closed his eyes. 


	65. Tacenda, Marvin and Chase

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tacenda: things left unsaid

Every moment he watched Chase and Stacy together, Marvin wanted to say  _something_. He wanted to point out how many times she belittled Chase and he just laughed it off, privately looking hurt. He wanted to rage about the times she ignored his needs and cited the children as her excuse. He wanted to shake some sense into his brother.

_“Don’t you see how she manipulates you? Don’t you see how she sets you up to be hurt?!”_

But he couldn’t. Chase would refuse to see it. He would get angry at Marvin for saying it, and if he was driven away, he would be even more helpless.


	66. Dysania, Schneep and Chase

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dysania: difficulty getting out of bed in the morning

“Hey, bro,” Chase greeted as gently as he could, huffing ruefully as Schneep grumbled unintelligibly, burying his face under the covers. “The coffee’s already made; you should get it while it’s hot!” Faintly he heard something about calling in sick, but he knew he wouldn’t. In a few minutes, the doctor would be forced to summon the willpower to roll out of bed and crawl to the kitchen to get some caffeine in his veins.


	67. Divorce Papers, Chase

“Stacy…” How had it come to this? How could he be sitting here, hands trembling, with this pen and these papers in front of him? “Stacy, this…this doesn’t have to…”

“Just sign them.”

“We can get more counseling, we can – we can even take a break if we need to, but this – !”

“Chase.” The acid in her tone silence any other protests he might have made. With a deep sigh, she glanced sideways for a moment and then closed her eyes. “Sign them.”


	68. Home, Jackieboy and Schneep

“Henrik?” Jackie called cautiously, keeping his voice soft as he pushed the door open. “I’ve got some breakfast if you want…” No sooner had he started did he trail off, realizing that the younger Ego was still asleep, curled into a tight ball on top of the sheets. No…he had  _fallen back_ to sleep; there were papers littering the bed around him, the nightstand and the floor, along with what looked to be a few dead pens. He’d been awake at some point…writing?

Brows knitting, Jackie slipped fully into the bedroom, careful not to rustle any of the papers on the floor as he stepped over them.After setting the bowl of cereal gently on the nightstand, he went for one of the papers instead. It took a few moments for him to realize what the smeared, hastily scrawled chicken scratch said, but when he deciphered it, his throat tightened, as did his fingers, creasing the paper.

_I’M NOT THERE I’M NOT THERE I’M NOT THERE I’M HOME I’M REALLY HOME I HAVE TO BE HOME THIS ISN’T A DREAM I’M HOME I’M NOT THERE NOT AGAIN I CAN’T BE THERE AGAIN IT WAS JUST A DREAM JUST A DREAM JUST A DREAM JUST A DREAM DREAM DREAM DREAM_

_I AM HOME I AM HOME I AM HOME I AM HOME I AM HOME I AM HOME_

_I HAVE TO BE_

“Oh, Henrik…” Blinking hard, Jackie looked up at the doctor, who still looked so strained and pale as he twitched unconsciously. He wanted to reach out, but even the lightest touch would startle him awake. He settled instead for a whisper. “You  _are_ home, Hen, and you’re staying here. I promise.”


	69. Trust, Jackieboy and Schneep

“Henrik…please,” Jackie whispered hoarsely, stretching his hand out just a fraction farther. “ _Please_ , give me the knife.”

“So you can plunge it into my ribs again? S-So you can slide it over my throat again, cutting me whenever I dare breathing?!” Schneep spat tremulously, eyes wild as he recoiled further back against the kitchen counter and tightened his grip on the handle. “No!  _Lass mich in Ruhe, Albtraum, oder_ – !”

“Henrik, it’s me! It’s Jackie,” he implored, shoving back his hood to give the doctor a fuller view of his face. “If you…if you don’t want to give it to me, just drop it at your feet. Just put it down. I won’t pick it up, I swear. Please, you have to trust me! I don’t want you getting hurt!”


	70. Comfort, Schneep and Septic Eye Sam

Glowing strings of fluid and bubbles were leaking from Sam’s pupil, fluttering away from him toward the surface of the tank as he shuddered and sank lower, tail drooping. Somehow, somewhere on the edges of his mind, Schneep could sense a deep ache from him. Sam was…crying. 

“You miss Jack as much as I do, don’t you, little one?” he whispered as he exhaustedly leaned his forehead and hand against the glass, letting his stinging eyes close. After a moment or two, he felt a small thump as Sam pressed against his palm on the other side.


	71. Dying, Jackieboy and Schneep

Henrik’s rasping gasps for air were drowning out everything except the wild beat of Jackie’s own heart as he brought all of his weight down against the gouge in Schneep’s side. 

“It’s okay!” he blurted out, shrill and frantic for optimism. “It’s okay, we can fix this!”

Eyes wide and glassy, Henrik stiffened for just a moment and then wheezed, slumping lower, head lolling sideways as the wound hidden under his hair wept. “N-No…Jackie…I’m sorry…”

The strangled hiss that Jackie let out was something torn between “Shush” and “Shut up! We’re not going there, Henrik; you’re going to be  _fine!_  I’m getting you out of here!” With that he wrangled his arms underneath his friend’s thin, shivering frame and lunged skyward. His mind was racing even faster than the scenery below them as he flew toward the hospital.

_They know what they’re doing, they’re almost as good as he is – He’s had worse and he’s so strong, there’s no way he could – He can pull through this. He’s not going to – he can be saved, he can always be saved!_

Over the roaring of the wind in his ears, he didn’t hear Henrik take one more shaky, rattling breath, color draining from his face as he let his head fall back. He didn’t hear the next breath either – it never came.


	72. Praise, Anti and JJ

As he blinked the stars and white noise away, it was like Jameson had reopened his eyes for the first time in…who knew how long. He opened them – he saw –

 **“No – !”**  he gasped, bloody knife clattering to the floor, metal ringing.  **“NO! No, no, no, no, _no – !_ ”**

Sweat and deep-seated dread striking at full force, he knelt next to his friend, the owner of the flower shop – an older woman, a widow, always smiling, always thanking him when he held the door open for her, affectionately tucking an extra bluebell into his vest pocket free of charge. Elaine. 

 **“No…”**  he whispered again, cupping her lifeless, weathered hand in his own. 

“You sho͞ưldn̕’t ̢cr͟y o̴v͟er ̴h͠e̛r̷, J͞ac͡k͘son,” the Glitch remarked as he hooked his hand under Jameson’s arm, dragging him back to his feet. “S̛h͜e ̢l̶i̸v̢e͘d h͢er l͏i̴f̴e!”

Jameson was in too much shock to resist until he realized that the hand that wasn’t on his arm was suddenly in his hair,  _petting_ him like he was some animal to be groomed.

 **“Keep away from me! _Monster!_ ”** he hollered tearfully, thrashing and elbowing as best he could, but as he twisted sideways to back away from him, Anti shifted his hold, grabbing his wrist instead and dragging him in for a cold, sickly embrace. He seemed unbothered by Jameson’s writhing; he merely chuckled, like a resigned parent.

 **“Get your hands off me, you madcap! _Get off_ , let me go this instant!  _You made me do this!_ ”** Over the course of his anguished struggle, Jameson was only faintly aware of the static swarming around the both of them, seeping into his skin as Anti dug his fingers into his waist and the back of his neck. The more he noticed it, the more it drowned out his heartbeat and the raging grief in his thoughts.  **“Get off…Get off me…”**

His adrenaline waned, tears spilling down his cheeks as he realized how useless it was. He was  _exhausted_ , the edges of his mind darkened by something…broken. Sobbing faintly, he gave up little by little, slumping into Anti’s arms, his forehead falling against his bony shoulder.

“T̨h̴e̶re…t̷h͏a͞t̵ ͏isn'̵t̴ ͜s͝o̧ hard, i̷s̴ ̨it?” the older Ego questioned smugly, trailing fingers up and down his back in what could have been a soothing gesture from anyone else. “You ḑid͡ s͝o̕ wel͞l͡ f̢or̕ m͠e, p̶up͜p̛et, very ̶g͡ood̢; y͜o͏ư ba҉rely even̶ hesi͠ta̵t͝e҉d! Yo͝u've̕ mad̢e҉ ͠p͢ro͟gŗe͟s̡s. D͜o͜e̕sn҉'͏t̨ it͞ ̸fe͏e͘l  _good͟_ to̧ ̛k͠n̨ow͟ t͘h̕at I̶’m ̢pr̸ou̢d̸ o̢f͡ you͢?”

With a shuddering sigh, Jameson nodded, unresisting when he felt slim fingers combing through his downy hair again. Good. It felt good.  **“…Yes, Master.”**


	73. Collapse, Anti and Marvin

“L̛o͞o͡k͡ ͠at ̡th̨aţ,” Anti tutted as Marvin wavered, grabbing clumsily for a handhold on the nearest wall. “T̶he ̧lit͜tle ̴kitte̡n̷'s̴ lo͏st̴ a͘t̢ its̢ ͢ow̶n̨ ̴game. A͜l҉wa̸ys tr͠y̧ing ̶t̶o be ͝şt҉ron͢ger t͟h̨an yo̶u̸ ar̵e…̡Isn̷'t̵ i̢t҉  _ex͡hau͡sting?̵_ ” 

“Hh…” Marvin’s attempt for an answer petered out into a thin wheeze as his legs buckled, sending him to the ground with a dull smack of pain. A mist of black spots was encroaching on his peripheral vision and his tremble frame wouldn’t –  _couldn’t_ summon the power to stir, not even when his enemy crouched and ran calloused knuckles over his bloodied cheek.

“G͝i̶ve͜ ̕i҉n,͝ ͠p̸u̢p̡pęt, ͏and ͘get͡ ̸your̵ ͏re̵st͠. ͟W͜hen̴ ̛you wake up,̛ y̡oų ͠and I ar͝e͢ ̢g͘oing t͡o͞ ͠do͏  _ma̛gn̨i͝f̷ice͡n͞t̵ ͡_ thi͘n͏g͏s͠.”


	74. Fever, Jack and Schneep

“Jack, why did you not come to the good doctor sooner?” Schneep hissed in sympathy, cupping his creator’s splotchy, fever-flushed cheeks for a moment before shifting to grab the damp towel beside him. “Is alright, I can take good care of you despite that, but I am sure it would have been less unpleasant for you earlier.”

“Yeah…” Jack mumbled, suppressing a wince as the cloth swept over his hot, tender skin.


	75. Fever, Jack and Schneep (Roles Reversed)

“Schneep, you’re wiped out,” Jack reminded him, concern ringing clear in his voice as he pressed his hand against his friend’s back, only to flinch back moments later at the sweaty heat bleeding through his coat. “And you’re definitely running a fever! Come on, you need to lie down, take a cool bath or somethin’!” 

“M’fine, Jack,” his Ego mumbled even as he laid his aching head against his arms on his desk. “I only need a minute…gather my thoughts…” The hand returned to his back then and he almost startled, but Jack’s fingers were curling into his coat.

“Schneep,” he repeated, solemn and firm. “Come with me. We’re getting you sorted out.”


	76. Woozy, Chase and JJ

“It’s okay, I’ve got you,” Chase soothed, adjusting his hold around Jameson’s waist as he wobbled toward the couch. He kept his voice and his face reassuring, but there was a crease in his brows. The feverish warmth seeping through Jem’s satiny nightshirt was unnerving, to say the least. 

 **“Mm…Da, I’m…feeling a bit woozy,”**  Jameson mumbled, sliding a little lower in his arms until Chase turned sideways to lean the both of them against the wall.

“Oh – okay, here we go – just take five here.”


	77. Lost, Chase and JJ

Chase seemed at a loss for words, staring at him openmouthed as tears streaked down his cheeks. Swallowing hard, Jameson opened his arms first and then the older Ego lunged, enveloping him in a crushing hug.

“I could’ve lost you – I could’ve  _lost_ you, Jem,” he whispered, pressing a desperate kiss into his hair. “Don’t you  _ever_ do that again, please,  _please_ …”

**“I’m sorry…”**


	78. Protect, Chase and JJ

“Hey, buddy,” Chase began conversationally as he shifted an arm in front of Jameson’s chest, keeping himself between him and the man looming across from him. “I think you’ve gotten off on the wrong foot with my boy here, but I also think you’re a pretty smart dude, so if you know what’s good for you…you’ll back off.  _Now_.” 


	79. Tease, Jackieboy, Schneep/Schneep's Wife

“Henrik…” she murmured nonchalantly, leaning over the back of the couch to slide her arms over her husband’s neck and glancing sideways to be sure Jackieboy was out of earshot in the kitchen. He couldn’t hear over the clattering of the dinner dishes he was washing. “I was just wondering when you think you’d be ready to head home.”

“Mm? My sweet, we planned for dessert, remember?” he answered curiously, tilting his head back in an attempt to meet her eyes. Smirking softly, she ducked back before he could, brushing her lips against his ear. 

“Yes, but the babysitter’s putting the boys to bed right about now. By the time we get there, it’ll be nice and quiet.”

Judging by the way he swallowed, he got the drift. “Hey, ah, Jackie – ”

“You two aren’t staying, that’s fine, that’s cool, have fun, goodnight!” Jackie blurted out, waving them off as he pushed the rest of the dishes into the sink and internally cursed his superhuman hearing.


	80. Panic, Marvin and Chase

“Stay away from me,  _stay away!_ ” he hollered, shaking hands hovering between them as Chase tried to step forward. Whether that was more to keep Chase at bay or to shield himself, neither of them knew.

“Bro, it’s just me!” he implored. “Don’t panic! It’s gonna be okay, just let me – !”

“I’ll hurt you!”

Chase’s step faltered only for a moment at that before he firmly shook his head. “No, you won’t. You won’t if you get control. Just focus and breathe; you and I can fix this.”


	81. Worry, Marvin and Chase

“You’ve been crying,” Marvin stated rather than asked, his voice soft and sad as he studied his brother – what he could see of him, at least. Chase was mostly buried under his sheets, hiding the majority of his face in his pillow, but Marvin didn’t need to see his swollen eyes to know. His shaky breathing was enough, even as it transformed into a raspy mumble.

“M’fine, just stop worrying.” 

“I’m not going to. I don’t like seeing you like this; I want to help.” 

Chase didn’t respond to that, only twisting sideways so he could curl further into himself, hunching his shoulders as if he were caught in a cold wind. Pursing his lips, Marvin leaned, resting his hand against the nearer shoulder and keeping it there despite his flinch. After another few moments, he felt Chase relax into it a little and squeezed gently, running his thumb back and forth in a small, reassuring gesture. 

“You can talk to me, if you want,” he reminded him somberly.

The younger Ego didn’t say anything to that either.


	82. Shared Nightmares, Schneep and JJ

It wasn’t long after he woke up screaming that the door creaked open. Inhaling through hissed teeth, Schneep did his best to stifle the usual panic. It wasn’t Anti; Jackie was probably coming to comfort him, maybe spend the night if he needed –

“Jamie?” he whispered hoarsely, flinching a little as the youngest Ego switched on the light with a shaking hand. “What are you doing here?”

 **“I – I heard you cry out, doc,”**  he stammered, wringing his hands furiously.  **“I didn’t hear Jackieboy get up, s-so I thought I ought to check on you.”**

Swallowing self-consciously, Schneep shrank further back against the headboard. “Why were you awake to hear me? Usually you sleep through it.”

After a frozen moment, Jameson’s eyes fell and his wringing hands stilled.  **“I had a night terror of my own. I couldn’t find sleep again.”**  His speech slide was small and transparent, barely a whisper.  **“I…Truthfully…I didn’t w-want to be alone. When I’m alone, the…the monster’s always there.”**


	83. Cuddling, Silver Shepherd/Roxanne

“Have I ever told you how perfect you are?” he murmured as he tightened his hold around her waist, tracing his fingers over the pattern across the hem of her shirt. Chuckling, she leaned into the hold, resting her head back against his shoulder and sliding one foot back to weave between his.

“I think you’ve mentioned it once or twice.”

Her auburn hair was beautifully soft as he nestled his cheek against it, inhaling deeply. She was just…all-consumingly  _perfect_ , especially for this.


	84. Burn, Chase and JJ

**“ _Agh!_  Ah, bugger the blasted – !” **Jameson didn’t finish his sentence, dropping the hot plate with a clatter and flinging himself at the sink for cold water.  **“Hh, curse it!”**

“Whoa – Jem, are you okay?” Chase demanded as he closed the front door behind him, flinging his backpack off to the side as he made a beeline toward him. “What’re you trying to do? You said you wouldn’t try to use the oven when we weren’t home; you’re still learning!”

 **“I know, it was thickheaded of me,”**  the younger Ego huffed, grimacing as he rubbed at his bright red hand and glanced over his shoulder at the smoking batch of ash that was  _meant_ to be chocolate chip cookies.


	85. Vocabulary, Chase and JJ

**“Oh! Chase, could you happen to snatch that bowl up there for me?”**  Jameson requested as the older Ego entered the kitchen. 

“Sure thing!” It was an easy stretch for Chase and he handed it to Jameson over his shoulder as he noted the tea waiting for him on the counter. “Hey, did you already – ? Thanks, Jem!”

**“It was no trouble, good dude!”**

Chase choked on his sip of the tea, sputtered, coughed, and  _kept_ coughing through Jameson’s startled demands if he was alright and if that was the correct usage of the word.


	86. Blood, Chase and JJ

“Jem, I just found your handkerchief on the floor…Is this  _blood?_ ” Chase questioned as he peered into the bathroom.

 **“Oh – ! Ah – yes, but n-no need to trouble yourself,”** Jameson stammered, hurriedly shifting his arms behind his back.  **“It’s only a small cut…nothing I can’t address on my own…”**  Even as he spoke, a tingly wave of dizziness swept over him, forcing him to lean sideways against the bathroom counter. Unfortunately, Chase happened to look beyond him then, spotting the wads of toilet paper he had already soaked through.

“That’s a lot of blood for a small cut,” he countered, eyes narrowing as he tossed the handkerchief onto the counter and grabbed for Jameson’s shoulders. “Show me your hands.”


	87. Broken Neck, Dr. Iplier and Google

For a long while, Edward wavered somewhere between darkness and cold, blinding light. It was only when he started registering the pain more strongly that he was forced to choose the light. The sky was wheeling around and around over his head, making his eyes water as he pried them open. A hand against his cheek, thumbing away the moisture, startled him.

“Hh – !”

“Stay still,” Google ordered, stopping him as he tried to shift sideways toward his voice. “Don’t move, Edward; there is a chance that your neck is broken. Lie still until the ambulance arrives.”

Adrenaline surged at the words, telling him to move, telling him to sit up and prove that he could, but the fear that came with it paralyzed him. Or – maybe that was  _more_ than fear.

“Neel, what happened?” he rasped, trembling as his fingers dug into the asphalt beneath him. “Tell me I’m not…You can do a scan, can’t you? Tell me I’m –  _please_.” 

For once the hand carding through his hair didn’t comfort him. Google still didn’t say another word.


	88. Blind, Chase and JJ

His head felt like it was being slammed into the brick wall again and again, even though their attacker had already let go of his neck. Distantly Jameson registered that he was lying in a fetal position, filthy snow soaking into his side and matting his hair. Flinching at the spear of pain in his skull as he shifted, he pried his eyes open, breath stalling at the blackness enveloping the world. Had the streetlights gone out?

 **“Da? Da, where are you?”**  he blurted out, trembling. He couldn’t even see by the glow of his speech slide. Where was it? Where was – ? He could still hear grunts and scuffling from nearby; the fight was still on!  **“Chase, answer me!”**

His only response was a yelp that definitely didn’t belong to the older Ego, but he gravitated toward it anyway, gritting his teeth against the shrill ringing in his ears and clutching at his temples as he tried to rise. It was pitch-black – he needed Chase, they needed his lighter – 

“Jameson!” All at once familiar hands were on him, forcing him to jump. “JJ, I’m here, it’s okay, they’re all down. Oh, your head, you’re bleeding! We gotta call Schneep – ”

 **“No, w-wait!”**  Jameson demanded fearfully as Chase’s touch disappeared just as quickly as it had arrived, reaching out and grasping at the air.  **“Come back, please, where are you?!”**

Somewhere nearby, the sounds of Chase’s movement stilled. “JJ…” he began worriedly, warily, waving his own hand. “I’m right here.” Jameson continued staring farther into the alleyway with wide, glassy eyes.

 **“…I can’t see,”**  he gasped out, drawing his searching hands in close, curling into himself.  **“I – I can’t see!”**


	89. Rest, Marvin and Chase

“Chase, are you sure you’re up for this today?” Stanley questioned as he watched his friend fumble with the Nerf bullets. “You’re just getting over the flu! Didn’t your doctor friend say you needed rest?”

“Bro, don’t worry about it,” Chase waved him off, offering a smile that was probably meant to be reassuring, but it never managed to reach his glazed, weary eyes. “It’s just a short video so I don’t fall behind. The fans’re getting worried.”

“Maybe they should be,” Stanley murmured, though the vlogger didn’t seem to hear it.

The plan had involved long-range targets, one of his larger Nerf rifles, a twenty-yard dash and a timer. What resulted was Chase gagging on the floor, being hurriedly steered into a sitting position by one of the other cameramen as Stanley shoved a bin into his lap so he could throw up. That was when the door to the studio burst open.

“Chase!” Marvin called sharply, earning a particularly violent cough as the younger Ego tried futilely to lift his head. By the time he managed to, Marvin was standing over him, his face torn somewhere between reproach and resignation. “Chase, I seem to remember Schneep explicitly telling you to rest and recover. Did you forget that? Because I don’t think this is  _rest_.”

“You t-told on me, didn’t you?” Chase accused hoarsely as he glanced at Stanley, who nodded without a second’s remorse.


	90. Accident, Chase and JJ

The first thing he registered was the sterility of cleanser stinging his nose and his eyes, and then the burning sensation in his throat. Grimacing faintly in discomfort, he twitched, genuinely considering the soft darkness that had kept him asleep to this point. It would be so easy to just slip back into it, like a warm pool…But the more he thought about it, the more aware he became of a vague pressure at his side – a hand covering his own.

Before he even opened his eyes, he knew whose hand it was, but Chase didn’t start anxiously chattering as soon as Jameson looked at him. Instead he hushed him preemptively, squeezing his fingers and speaking in a softer voice.

“It’s okay, JJ, you’re in the hospital. You…you had an accident. What d’you remember?” 

 **“I…don’t,”**  the gentleman admitted weakly.  **“It’s fled my mind.”**

“…Oh.” Something waned in Chase’s eyes then, but he didn’t say anything about what it might be, only squeezing his hand one more time. “I’m really glad you’re okay. That’s all that matters.”


	91. Fall, Jack and Schneep

“Schneep, how long has it been since you took a look at your bed?” Jack ventured, trying not to let too much of his worry leak into his voice as he leaned sideways to watch his Ego’s sluggish movements. “Schneep?” 

The doctor almost seemed lost as he glanced around in the open med cabinets, slowly shaking his head in bewilderment. After another few moments of silence, he startled. “I – I’m sorry, my friend…You said something, didn’t you?” Without waiting for an answer, he steeled himself and spun to face him, to change the subject, move on with their business. 

His weary, aching body, however, wasn’t prepared for the nauseating motion that he’d wanted; the last thing he felt before he crumpled was the blood crashing from his head to his toes. Distantly he heard tools ringing against the floor around him and Jack crying out.

“Oh, my – Schneep, are you okay?!”

Fine, you’re fine, don’t show him weakness. Blinking stars from his blurry vision, he promised tightly, “I’m well! I’m alright! It was a short f –  _ghh_ – ! Ow, ow – ”

As he scrambled onto his knees beside him, Jack swore and gestured hurriedly in squeamish alarm. “Your hand, you’re bleeding!” 

Blinking stars from his vision, Schneep turned his attention to the source of scalding, piercing pain and was forced to bite back a whine at the sight of the scalpel lodged in his palm. Another wave of dizziness, stronger than the last, poured over him and he lowered his head, drawing in a ragged breath that made his chest and ribs shudder in protest. “Oh…”

“What do I do?” his creator demanded, lunging sideways for a roll of bandages that Schneep had taken with him on his way down. “Tell me! What do I do?!”

“…Call the hospital. T-Tell them I’m coming back in.”


	92. Not Alone, Dark and The Host

“Host, you need to calm yourself,” Dark hissed as the narrator curled into himself, groaning unintelligibly through gritted teeth. The visions were crashing down on him in full force; they had been all night. “I know you’re in pain, but it’s going to be alright.”

“ _Hhh_ – H-Help the Host, please, h-help him…!”

“I’m here. You aren’t alone.”


	93. Fatigue, Schneep and JJ

**“Doc, why do you keep rubbing your eyes?”**  Jameson asked curiously, catching the older Ego in the act for the third time in the past few minutes.  **“Are you tired?”**

“No!” he shot back, too quickly, as he pried off his glasses to clean them against his coat. “No, I’m…” Before he could even finish, a deep yawn interrupted him and he was forced to blink hard against it, lowering his head.

 **“Are you certain?”**  Jameson teased lightly, reaching over his desk to bookmark the page of his medical journal.  **“Unless you intend to use this book for a pillow, p **erhaps you ought to turn in for the night.** ”**


	94. Forehead Kiss, Jack and Chase

“Please wake up…” Chase whispered again, strangled by his own sobs. “Please, please wake up, Jack,  _please_ wake up…”

He wasn’t sure how long he sat there with his face buried his hands, palms hot and wet with his tears. He wished Jack would reach out and brush his arm, say his name in a hushed whisper. He just wanted to hear his voice again – but nothing happened. After several more minutes, he breathed a trembling sigh, coming out of his chair and bowing his head over his creator’s. His forehead was cool and dry when he kissed it, as he would for one of his children. 

“…G’night, Jack.”


	95. Hypnosis, Dark and Dr. Iplier

Everything around him felt like it had ground to a halt, even though he saw the smoke moving in front of him, clinging to his lashes, slithering up his nose and into his open mouth. Tingling dizziness washed over him again and again, stealing more and more of his fear with each wave. He was calm…a little drowsy…and it felt  _right_. 

“Now that you’re looking more  _receptive_ , doctor,” Dark began with a tight smile, circling him where he sat on his knees, “I suggest you listen to my proposal again.”


	96. Pneumonia, Marvin and Chase

The sound of Chase’s fast, rattling wheezes grated on Marvin’s heart as he swallowed, sinking down on the edge of his bed and wiping sweaty hair away from his face. His clammy skin was still too radiating way too much heat for Marvin’s liking. “How’re you feeling?” he asked softly, trying to coax a smile out of him when he added, “Any better than you look?”

There was no smile to be found. “M’chest…” he slurred, coughing wetly into his blankets and whimpering. “M’chest hurts…an’ m’throat.” 

“Let’s have you sit up so you can drink some tea, okay?”


	97. Gigil, Chase and JJ

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gigil: gritting the teeth to resist the urge to pinch or squeeze something extremely cute

As soon as he heard Chase’s voice, Jameson hurriedly looked up from the ice cream carton with a full mouth and a deer-in-the-headlights expression, but the vlogger couldn’t even be mad that the last of it was gone. All he could do was bite his lip against his laughter – and the near-irrepressible urge to pinch his boy’s adorable chipmunk cheeks. It was just too cute!


	98. Transformation, JJ

_Run! Run to someone – anyone! Find help now!_

He couldn’t. As he tried to shift forward, his legs wobbled and swayed like pegs underneath him, unable to hold his weight. As he crumpled, he didn’t feel or hear the thump of flesh and bone against the floor – it was the cracking of wood. His skin tingled and tightened against his frame, prickling, bits of bark crumbling off in ashy pieces as he struggled to crawl. 

It was useless to move when he could barely breathe; his lungs were calcifying little by little. With every weak gasp, all he got was the scent of pine, stinging, making his eyes water. Now his eyes…Everything was  _more_ than blurry. It was hazing over, like cold second eyelids were drifting down. 

_Help me…_

The world was gray, oversaturated. The lights were too much to look at, the shadows too deep. Tears slithered silently down his smooth, slippery face, but his expression was vacant. He lay motionless.

Then…a twitch. There was a sudden tug to his wrist, one that made it creak and crackle like a branch being pulled taut – but what tautened now wasn’t a branch. 

The only spark of color in his new gray world – a thin, shining red string, lifting his wrist from the floor and then setting it down. Up, down, up…It repeated the motion several more times, testing, before it pressed down firmly against the carpet. The other wrist followed suit and he was slowly, slowly levered up onto hands and knees. He wobbled there.

“G̴a̸t̢he̵r̶ ͞y͝o̸ur͜ ̢s̴t҉reng͝t̷h͜ ͏now͡,” his master advised with a grim smile. “A̢s ͝so̸on͜ a̡s̛ yo͠u ̴ģet ̸to yo̕ur feet͠,͜ ͞p̶ųppet, ͠Į’m go͞ing͡ t҉o͟ ͠m̵ake͏ ̕y̸o̶u da̡n͘c̡e ͢any̸ ̸w͞h̨ich way͝ I d͝e͏s͡i̴ŗe.”


	99. Cards, Marvin and JJ

“You’re pretty good at that!” Marvin commented as Jameson slapped and shuffled the cards, hands blurring over the deck for just a second more before he swept it up into his palm and tapped it succinctly against the table to straighten it. 

 **“Why, thank you, good sir! I’ll admit, I pride myself on my hand at the cards,”**  the younger Ego admitted with a half-smile. 

“So do I. I’ve been working with cards since the day I was born; they’re my specialty.”

 **“Oh?”**  As he spread the cards out across the table again, a spark of mischief came into Jameson’s eyes.  **“Come, sit, if you have the nerve! We ought to see who this deck favors!”**


	100. Snuggle, Jackieboy and JJ

“I’m thinkin’ my sidekick had a busy day?” Jackieboy murmured affectionately as he pried off Jameson’s mask. The younger Ego nodded groggily, his head dipping lower each time, and Jackie glanced briefly in the direction of the hallway. Chase and Marvin’s rooms were already dark. “We should probably get you to bed, huh? Here…up we go.”

As soon as he was in the older Ego’s arms, Jameson snuggled in close, nuzzling his cheek into his shoulder with a contented sigh as he dozed off. Warmth curling in his chest, Jackie held him just a little tighter as he took him away from the living room. Maybe it wouldn’t hurt to lie down with him for a while.


	101. Homesick, JJ

Dr. Schneeplestein called it “culture shock.” Whether that was the medical term or not, Jameson didn’t particularly care. All he wanted was something  _familiar_ to him. In this convoluted, go-getting, “now, now, now” atmosphere, with all of these newfangled contraptions being thrust upon him, there was practically nowhere he could turn for a quiet moment.

He wanted dirt roads again. He wanted trim vests and long skirts and tips of the hat to those passing. He wanted more gentlemen who would open the doors for a lady and gentlewomen who wouldn’t think they were belittling them for doing so. He wanted kerchiefs and handheld watches and coffee percolators and the soothing, soulful tones of jazz on the radio. 

How could he ever belong here?


	102. Scars, Jackieboy and Schneep

No matter how many times he had seen it before, Schneep couldn’t help but bite his lip as Jackie shimmied the upper half of his jumpsuit down to his waist, exposing his back. 

It was a map of scar tissue – pinkish-gray gashes from knives and rebar, bullet grazes, dappled burns…He remembered treating a good portion of these wounds. Today another long, deep cut would be joining the collection; it was still dribbling blood down his left rib cage. Swallowing hard, the doctor shook himself free of his thoughts. He needed to focus on the here and now. 


	103. Unrequited, Yandere

Sometimes it was hard for Yandere to remember that his senpai probably didn’t even recognize him yet. He had doodled so many sketches of the two of them together, he had daydreamed so many days together down to every last detail, he had poured out all of his love for Senpai into journal entries and tears…Sometimes he could trick himself into thinking he and Senpai had truly done those things, that it was real.


	104. Hiding Illness, Chase and JJ

**“Allergies?”**  Jameson echoed, mouth twisting with stern skepticism as he watched Chase cough into his sleeve.  **“I think not, good sir. You don’t have the same seasonal allergies that Marvin does.”**

Chase groaned weakly as another hoarse cough forced its way out of him, grating on his sore, swollen throat, and flinched when Jameson pressed a hand against his forehead. “Nnh – your hand is really cold…”

 **“No, it’s not,”**  he corrected softly.  **“You’re running a fever.”**


	105. Unfair, Chase and Stacy

“This is so unfair!” he burst out, knowing that it was the wrong thing to say, knowing that it was childish and stupid, but he couldn’t control himself. “You can’t just keep me from seeing them, I’m their dad! They  _need_ me!”

“We’ve been getting along just fine without you for  _months!_  We don’t need anything you have to offer, Chase, except that kicked puppy face you’re giving me now! You’re so pathetic!”

“Don’t tell me they haven’t asked when I’m coming home! Don’t tell me they haven’t tried to call or message me, I know they have! I’ve gotten calls from the home phone but every time I pick up, the calls ends,” he growled. “They want me! And I’m  _going_ to get visitation rights, whether you like it or not.”


	106. Summer, Dark and The Host

The Host tipped his head back as he stepped out onto the front step, closing the door behind him. He had no need to squint against the brightness but he could feel it soaking into his skin. Within a few minutes he would probably need to take his coat off if a breeze didn’t kick up.

“Are you coming, Host?”

Dark’s voice sounded close, but the Host could See him standing to the side of the walkway several yards away. He lowered his head in a brief nod, smiling faintly. Their first walk of the summer. He was certain to enjoy it.


	107. Call, Chase and His Kids

“Hey, you two,” he murmured, hoping he didn’t sound as tired on the voice mail as he did in his head. “It’s Dad. I was just calling to see how you were doing…How’s school? You staying focused, working hard? That’s good…” 

Why was he acting as if they were there to reply? They weren’t. A lump formed in his throat. “And, uh…How are the magic tricks coming along, Connor? The ones Marv got you? They’re pretty cool, huh? I wish you could show me. Maybe next time you come over…”  _Don’t expect that any time soon_. 

“Anyway. I just wanted to say that I miss you. I miss hearing your voices. And I love you. Call me back if you can, okay?”  _If your mom doesn’t delete this message before you can hear it_. “I love you so much.” 


	108. Happy, Schneep

If he could go back to the way things were, he would in a heartbeat. He would find a way to smile without it pulling at his bruised and battered face and the healing cuts marring his cheeks and lips. He would laugh openly instead of being afraid of static laced through his voice and there wouldn’t be any lump in his throat. He would hold the others as close and as tight as he could without flinching and trembling and cringing away when they tried to hug him back. He would save Jack and hold his hand and kiss his forehead while he got better.

He barely remembered those days. When he couldn’t, he cried. When he could, he cried harder.


	109. Broken Heating, All

“You do not drink when the heat is broken, Chase Brody! The drink fools the vessels in the blood; you feel warm but you are cold faster!” Schneep scolded as he grabbed Chase’s chilly hand to stuff it into a glove.

“Sorry…I didn’t know,” he mumbled tiredly, unresistant to his ministrations – that was the first sign of concern. Once the other glove was on, he slumped back, huddling deeper into the blankets Marvin began bundling around him. He took half a glance at the other side of the couch, where JJ was shivering against Jackieboy’s chest, and then back up at the magician and the doctor. “Why…Why aren’t  _you_ two cold?”

“Magic,” Marvin said simply as Schneep snorted, “Winters in Germany.”


	110. Forecast, Dr. Iplier and Google

“You expect me to change my forecast based solely on your body temperature?” Google scoffed, shaking his head. “You run cold, Edward; that is a known fact, as is the fact that winter starts on December 21st – ”

“That doesn’t matter! I’m human and temperatures affect me more than you and I say that if I’m shivering like  _this_ , it’s wintertime!” Edward complained as he burrowed deeper into his blankets.


	111. Shoulder, Marvin and Schneep

This hadn’t exactly been part of the plan. Marvin had badgered Schneep into leaving his paperwork and watching a movie with him knowing full well that he was too tired to make it all the way through. He had expected him to fall asleep, yes, but he hadn’t expected him to nod off against his shoulder. That being said, it wasn’t necessarily unwelcome. Marvin would gladly serve as a pillow if it meant he could supervise, making sure Schneep slept soundly and got the rest that he –

“Awww! Look at you two!” Marvin stiffened at Chase’s loud whisper, gesturing as emphatically as he could for him to shut up, and Chase hurriedly nodded in understanding, though his wide grin didn’t abate. “That’s adorable!” With no further ado he fished out his phone, ignoring Marvin’s warning glare. “It’s fine, bro, it’s fine, I won’t use it as blackmail. I just want photo evidence that he actually sleeps!”


	112. Claustrophobia, Illinois

Strained, painful curses rasped from his throat as he coughed, setting his sternum on fire. He could barely draw a full breath of the thin, stale, stagnant air with the rocks lodged tight against his chest. The dust in his eyes looked like stars, blurring his vision with moisture and black spots. 

There was no breeze, no air flow – Precious little oxygen to scream away the building fear in his roiling stomach – No, he had to stop and think; this was just a trap like anything else – Think, think, think! His skin had gone clammy, ears roaring with adrenaline just as trapped in his body as he was in the rocks. He was going to be sick, he was going to suffocate on his own bile in the tight, lonely blackness all on his own. No one would ever find him down here.

“Help me! Somebody, please, help!  _Help me!_ ”


	113. Sleep Paralysis, Schneep

He was sinking like a stone in water, sucked in, forced down into the mattress by a weight crushing his chest like a truck. Directly overhead he could see the monster that had followed him out of his dreams – a hunched, dripping silhouette with a gaping maw and distorted claws that were closing in on his throat, squeezing his attempts to scream into dark silence. 

He was a living soul in a dead body, his own skin mummifying him, muscles on fire, rib cage jerking in vain for air.  _No escape!_  his heart screeched.  _No escape, no escape!_  What if he never woke up?

Dizziness washed over him in a churning wave as he felt his hands tingle and burn.  _His hands_. He  _felt_ his hands, though he could only move them in small spasms at his sides. Hot tears blurred his vision as he gulped in a hitched, trembling breath. When he blinked, letting them roll down his cheeks, the shadow had retreated. It would toy with him again another night.


	114. Kidnapped, Jackieboy

The sharp, cracking blow to his face shot blood down the back of Jackie’s throat, forcing him to cough and splutter and spit, fuming silently. He could  _end_ this man. He could break free of his bonds in less than a second, but his better sense was a better restraint than the ropes. This group still had no idea who they had taken; all they saw was a civilian they had snatched off the street. 

“This isn’t anything personal. You’re just collateral, bud,” the one hovering over him explained with a crooked grin, twisting Jackie’s hair into his meaty fist and wrenching his head back to meet his narrowed eyes. “You’re gonna be a big help to us if the cops or the hero try to make an entrance; we can use you to show ’em what we do to  _innocents_. But, hey, if they’re smart and they stay outta our way, maybe you’ll end up back on the street safe and sound.”

 _Maybe sooner than you think_.


	115. Possession, Marvin

_Get out of my head_. 

Unsteady hands tore frantically at tangled, matted hair. Sweaty palms slapped his forehead as he slurred out a broken curse, trying to focus his thoughts and energy. He couldn’t hear anything over the tangled din of giggling and whispers that filled his ears, hissing of relief, of release, of letting go of all control.   
 _Plea̴sur͞ę, bl͞ơod,̵ c̵uts̢,͝ br͢o҉t̕her̵s,̴ dead͢, blood̶,͏ ̕p͝l͏ea̢s̷ur͜e_  -͘-

_Get out of my head! Stop it, stop it!_

He couldn’t see. Static laced its way through his vision, forming sick, demented images that he couldn’t process fast enough. Keening, he rocked, slamming his head into his hands until his fingers were numb and heavy. Against his will his arms fell lax against his sides. Webs of darkness draped over his mind, spreading their poisons, pounding in his temples as blood slithered from his eyes.  _Get…out…please…Get out of…_

 _My̴ ͢h̨ea̛d̷_.


	116. Purr, Marvin and Chase (1 of 2)

How long they had been snuggled up like this, Chase didn’t know. He didn’t particularly care either; for the first time in days, he was fully relaxed and comfortable, his legs tangled up with his brother’s, arms wrapped up underneath his. Marvin had let his guard down too, keeping his face nestled into Chase’s hair and humming every so often. It was only when Chase heard him start rumbling softly that he opened his eyes. He wasn’t asleep, was he? Marvin usually didn’t try to nap unless Chase said he was going to – and even if he  _was_ sleeping, Marvin never snored. Then why was he…?

“Marv,” Chase murmured, finally lifting his head from the older Ego’s chest in mellow amusement. “Are you purring over me?”

The rumbling eased to a stop then. After a still moment of silence, Marvin shifted, tightening his arms around him. “…Maybe.”

“I thought you didn’t like being compared to a cat.”

“Yeah, well.” Marvin didn’t seem very motivated to come up with an excuse, tucking Chase’s head back under his chin without continuing whatever his sentence could have been. It only took another minute or two for the purring to start up again. 


	117. Purr, Marvin and Schneep (2 of 2)

Despite his decor, Marvin wasn’t one to fall into stereotypes; he didn’t chase lights, play with yarn, transform into a cat or even have a feline familiar. He did, however, on the rare occasion that he was completely relaxed and content in someone’s company, purr. Nestling into Schneep’s side as the doctor played with his hair…This was a well-deserving moment.

When the older Ego first started rumbling, Henrik thought it was an asthma wheeze. Yet Marvin wasn’t complaining; he looked obscenely comfortable, eyes falling closed, a lazy smile on his face. Experimentally Henrik changed the rhythm of his combing. Sure enough the rumble grew louder and that was when it dawned on him. That odd habit…Chase had told him about it only once.

 _I…I make him purr?_  he realized, unable to suppress a startled burst of pride as Marvin stretched languidly against him.  _Me? I thought it would never be for me_.


End file.
